Through the eye of the needle

Living radically every day.

The following you are about to read is radical. At least it will seem radical to you if you have never heard this before. Jesus taught me that he has given me everything & through Him, & Heavenly father to enable and empower me in Him & by His grace, love Spirit & indwelling life within me to obey His commands, even if doing so would make me stick out from the people around me, lose friends, be hated, mocked, misunderstood and ridiculed for doing so.

That everything Jesus asks of me, actually from all of His set apart disciples Christians are meant to be practised today & not to be put on hold until some future era. If, however, you are a Christian who believes that salvation is by “faith alone,” and that obedience is not a necessary part of it, please allow yourself to be challenged. But I ask you at least to open the door of your heart, especially where God’s Word is examined, and to examine the things you have always believed to be true. Also be patient as there is lots to cover, and will be breaking this down in probably far more than even just two articles. Also please pray and ask for illumination from Heavenly father to give you revelation by His grace & through His Holy Spirit upon your spirit of His understandings and He to examine the depths of your heart. And, as in every controversy, “let God be true, but every man a liar.”

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I want to ask whether you would be willing to consider the possibility that the teachings of nonaccumulation by Jesus might be true, and it's actual practical application. it is a teaching that has been lost to most of today’s Christians, especially those in affluent countries.

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So what is the doctrine of nonaccumulation? Quite simply, it is the doctrine stating that Jesus forbids His people to accumulate wealth on this earth, but rather commands them to distribute those possessions they do not currently need for the needs of others and for spreading the gospel. Or to condense it into a few words, this doctrine says that Jesus commands us to distribute rather than accumulate earthly wealth.

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Consider some of the beliefs you espouse that others do not. You believe, for instance, that the only way to God is through a man named Jesus of Nazareth. To someone else, however, this view may seem egotistical and narrow-minded. Yet what is the cost to that person if he throws the idea away without examining the evidence for it?

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Or, maybe you could look at some of the finer points of your Christian faith. Perhaps you believe in the doctrine of nonresistance, and that a Christian cannot take part in killing others through war if he is to be obedient to Jesus. Consider, however, how hard it would be for your patriotic neighbor to accept this idea. He has been taught all his life about the importance of patriotism and that God expects us to support and defend our country. Consider especially how hard this would be for him to accept if he is actually in the military himself, and has only a few years left until he can receive full retirement benefits. Yet what is the cost to him if he rejects this doctrine on that basis? Or, if you have accepted Jesus’ teaching against divorce and remarriage, you would rightly conclude that anyone who wants to join Jesus' Ekklesia would also need to accept this doctrine as true. Yet think of what this would mean to someone who whom says they are an active Christian is actually in a divorce and remarriage situation. (It’s no wonder that in today’s society most Christians reject this idea as being too radical.) Yet what is the cost to those who do reject it? Consider also the story of the rich young ruler. This man once stood at a crossroads similar to the one you may be standing at now. In the end, he rejected the command of Jesus to “sell and give.” I don’t know what all his reasoning was. Perhaps he thought that this really wasn’t God who was giving this command. Perhaps he thought that he would eventually find some less costly way to obtain eternal life. Perhaps he even recognized that he was giving up his opportunity for salvation, but decided it was worth it if he could keep his riches. Whatever his reasoning was, it caused him to reject the very Son of God. And how much did this rejection really cost him in the long run?

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Suppose you come away from this article convinced that the doctrine of nonaccumulation is a true doctrine. If so, it is a gift to you from One Whose love for you is infinite! It has been given for your benefit, not for your harm. Is that anything to be afraid of? If, on the other hand, this doctrine does not stand the test of Jesus’ true teachings, you can just reject it and go on with your life. Please also not to reason this is a message from a mere human such as me, but rather to consider whether God as Heavenly father Himself has a message for you, a message that you may never have considered before.

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First, what is the role of obedience to Christ in our salvation? Is obedience to Him really necessary, or is salvation simply a matter of “believing” in Him without any real commitment to obey Him?

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Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you (Jn. 15:14).

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments (1 Jn. 2:3).

If ye love me, keep my commandments (Jn. 14:15).

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city (Rev. 22:14).

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love (Jn. 15:10).

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock (Mt. 7:24).

Second, what is the condition of those who do not obey Jesus?

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Lk. 6:46).

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven (Mt. 7:21).

He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him (1 Jn. 2:4).

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away (Jn. 15:2).

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess. 1:8).

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand (Mt. 7:26).

Third, if obedience is necessary, then which of Jesus’ commands are we supposed to obey? This question at first may seem a little silly. Once we have determined that obedience to Christ is necessary, then it only makes sense to say that we are required to obey all of His commands. Correct?

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Well, let’s try this. One of the commands of Jesus was “Go wash in the pool of Siloam.” Are we supposed to obey that command? No, obviously not. Therefore, it must not be right to say that we have to obey “all” the commands of Christ. Does that mean, then, that we get to pick and choose which commands we want to obey? Again, the answer is no. So what is the right way to know which commands apply to us? The answer to this question lies in Jesus’ words in the Great Commission, found in Matthew 28. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (Mt. 28:20).* [1] Jesus was talking to His disciples in these verses, and in these five words, “whatsoever I have commanded you,” He gives the key to knowing which commands we are expected to keep: namely, those commands that He gave to His disciples. If a particular command was given to His disciples (in a teaching context), it was meant for us as well. If, on the other hand, the command was given to some other individual, we are generally not required to obey it. To summarize, then, we are to obey the commands Christ gave to His disciples, if we want to call ourselves His people & have the honour of bearing His name and being His representative, ambassador and emissary.

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The idea that the word “treasures” refers only to those possessions that we treasure flies in the face of another statement Jesus made. Whereas this idea says we need to look first at our heart to determine whether our possessions are our treasure or not, Jesus says exactly the opposite. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Mt. 6:21).

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In other words, says Jesus, look first at your treasure (where you are making your investments), and that will tell you where your heart is. Don’t try to look first at your heart. It’s too deceitful, and probably won’t give you an honest answer anyway. Look instead at your possessions, and then you will know where your heart is. Many of us have tried to deny that this statement applies to us. We say that although we own an abundance of material things, our heart is not really in our possessions. Yet when the test actually comes, and we are faced with giving up those possessions, one by one we all prove that our heart actually was in them.

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For example, there are many people who have a large savings account or who own a number of investment properties. When asked about the purpose for owning these assets, they say it is so that they can take care of themselves in case of a calamity such as a large medical bill. When that large medical bill comes, however, these same people lament sadly that they had to “dip into savings” or “sell off property” to pay the bill, as though it were some sort of tremendous hardship to do so. ______________________To summarize, it seems clear that Jesus’ command in Matthew 6:19 (“lay not up”) is a command not to accumulate wealth on this earth. It does not appear that our Lord is placing limits on the amount of money we earn. Rather, he is restricting what we do with that money once we have earned it. Specifically, He is forbidding us to accumulate it, to invest it, to store it up here on this earth. Perhaps, however, you will respond to this suggestion in much the same way that others have done: “But I just don’t believe that is what he is saying.” If that is your response, then I thank you for being honest. But before you ride off into the sunset with this as your opinion, please allow me to ask you two simple questions. First, if Jesus doesn’t really mean “don’t accumulate,” then what exactly does He mean by this command? What exactly is it that he is telling us not to do? Second, if Jesus would have wanted to forbid the accumulation of earthly wealth, how else could he have said it? What words could he have used to make Himself more clear?

Jesus speaking to His disciples and to us today says in Luke 12:33-34

Sell the things ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, unfailing treasure in the heavens, where no thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth. For where your ·treasure is, there will your ·heart be also.

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Whether we like this command or not, there it is, in the same Bible you’ve been carrying to church with you every week. And if you are like many Christians I’ve talked to, this may well be the first time you’ve really noticed this command. Whatever it is that Jesus means by this command, we can know for sure that it was given to us by God Almighty. Whatever it is that He means, it is just as much a command as “Love your enemies” or “Swear not at all.” Whatever it is that He means, disobedience to this command is just as much disobedience as adultery or murder. Whatever it is that He means, Christ’s question to those who ignore this command is, “Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Lk. 6:46). ______________________This second main command is also found in Matthew 6, although different wording is used to communicate essentially the same message. Jesus has just given the negative command “Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth.” Now He tells us: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven (Mt. 6:20). In today’s terminology, then, He is telling us to accumulate wealth in Heaven, to invest in Heaven, to save for retirement in Heaven. He is telling us, in essence, to make investments in Heaven in much the same way that people of this world make investments on earth. But how do we do this? What do we physically have to do to lay up treasure in Heaven? Luke 12:33 gives us the answer. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. So it’s by giving alms that we can make a real investment in a real place called Heaven! And this investment is totally secure from all the problems (thieves, rust, recessions, inflation, and stock market corrections) associated with earthly investments! What’s more, the rate of return is far better than that which any mutual fund manager has ever been able to consistently produce (“a hundredfold” according to Matthew 19:29). _____________________

The doctrine of nonaccumulation, therefore, means more than simply “don’t accumulate.” It also means, according to Luke 12:33, that we are to practice lavish generosity. There are many people who don’t accumulate earthly wealth, but at the same time do not really practice Biblical nonaccumulation. Perhaps because of either laziness or else excessive spending, they simply do not have any resources available to accumulate. Maybe they have even read Jesus’ command not to lay up treasures on earth, and in response have cut back on their work, or have started to live in luxury, or have otherwise begun to squander those funds that they formerly had been putting into a savings account each month. In other words, they have stopped laying up treasures on earth, but have not started laying up treasures in Heaven. They simply are not laying up treasures anywhere. But that is not Biblical nonaccumulation. This doctrine, rather, urges us to behave in many ways just like the people around us who are diligently saving for earthly retirement. We should work just as hard as they do (provided, of course, that our other responsibilities do not suffer). We should limit our personal spending just as they do. We should sell off poor investments, just as they do, to free up money to invest in something better. The primary difference is where we invest our money once we have it available to invest. Instead of putting it on earth, as they do, we make our investments in Heaven. And this is done through our giving. ______________________Most Christians, even very wealthy ones, would state emphatically that they would be willing to sell their possessions and give away the proceeds if God asked them to do so. In no case would they walk sadly away from Christ as the rich young ruler did.

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In other words, they are waiting for some sort of “triggering event,” a “voice from the Lord,” so to speak, telling them to sell and give. Although they don’t really expect this triggering event to happen, if it ever should happen, they say, they would obey willingly without any delay. Perhaps this describes your attitude. If so, then I commend you for your willingness to do anything for Jesus. I only urge you to stick with this commitment if this triggering event should ever come to pass. I do have one question, however. What exactly would qualify as a triggering event? If a voice from the sky thundered out, “Sell and give,” would that qualify? If you saw a hand writing “Sell and give” on the wall above your head, would that be enough to convince you that God is speaking? What about Luke 12:33? Would reading that verse for the first time qualify as a triggering event?

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Are we saying, then, that Jesus’ command to us (Lk. 12:33) means exactly the same thing as the command He gave to the rich young ruler? Perhaps not, because there are differences with the language used in these two commands. On the other hand, perhaps so, because these differences are extremely minor.As we compare the Luke 12:33 command with the command given in the story of the rich young ruler (Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18), here is what we find. The command given to the rich young ruler in Matthew’s account is virtually identical to the command (given to us) in Luke 12:33. The commands given to the rich young ruler in Mark and Luke, however, contain the added word “all” that thou hast, or “whatsoever” thou hast. Does this added word, then, prove a significant difference between that which God expects of us and that which he required of the rich young ruler? Was Jesus telling the rich young ruler to sell and give every- thing he owned, whereas He wants us only to sell and give part of what we own?

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I'm not sure that I'm ready to answer this question once and for all. I will suggest an explanation, however, that seems to resolve this ques- tion and deal fairly with all the Scriptures involved.

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It seems that Jesus, in both His command to us and His command to the rich young ruler, is telling us to distribute whatever possessions we do not currently need. In other words, sell and give those possessions that are clearly of an investment nature (as opposed to a "tool"). Sell and give those possessions that clearly qualify as "riches" (as opposed to basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and transportation). For someone as wealthy as the rich young ruler, this in- cluded virtually everything he owned. For someone who owns only two coats (Lk. 3:11), this would be only half of what he own.

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Whatever it is that Jesus means by His command in Luke 12:33, He does not intend for it to bring us into bondage, but rather to set us free. If we will but submit ourselves to this command, it becomes a doorway into some of the most wonderful opportunities we could possibly imagine. Once Jesus has set us free from the idea (produced by the society in which we live) that we need to be building up our earthly & material wealth, and has explained to us that giving is actually an investment rather than an expense, we will begin to look at giving in an entirely new light. The opportunities in almsgiving are far more varied and exciting than earthly investing could ever be.

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I want to tell you a story I came across, it is an imaginary story and I have changed some of the details but it is a story about a man who was a wise investor by this world’s standards. If the financial experts of our time read this story, they all would agree that this man certainly knew what he was doing when it came to investing on this earth. They would lift him up as a prime example of how a man who starts out with virtually nothing can still, through patience, hard work, and wise investment decisions, develop for himself a fortune worth millions.

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Jesus was burdened that his people also make wise investment decisions. We ought therefore to follow this man's example in many ways. The main difference is that whereas this man was a citizen of the United States, we are called to be citizens of God's kingdom. This man's actions, therefore, must be altered accordingly before we put them to practice in our lives.

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As a backdrop for this story, we have used the true account of one of the most profitable companies that has ever been traded in the stock market: Apple and the most profitable company thus far in 2024, yielding $100 billion of net income. Today, Apple is the largest company in the world by market cap, worth over $3 trillion.

FRANK THE WISE INVESTOR

In early 1987, a man whom we'll call Frank walked into the office of an investment advisor and sat down for an interview. He explained to the advisor both his current financial situation and his financial goals for the future. Al- though he was not a rich man, Frank said he did have several thousand dollars in a savings account. More importantly, he had a young body, a sharp mind, a well- paying job, and a willingness to put everything he had into his goal of becoming financially wealthy.

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After looking at Frank's situation, the advisor explained to Frank some of the risks and rewards of investing in the stock market and suggested that because of his young age and long-term goals, he should consider putting at least some of his money into this type of investment. He also cautioned

Frank never to invest in a company without researching it thoroughly. He then gave Frank a few pointers on how to analyze a company's long-term prospects.

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Before Frank walked out the door, the advisor made this comment, "One stock you might want to consider, Frank, is a company that is going to go public next month. Its name is Apple, and it seems to be a company with a really good growth potential. Just make sure you do your own research on the company before you make your final decision."

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Over the next few weeks, Frank did do a lot of research on this company named Apple Macintosh, even getting a chance to interview with Steve Jobs & Steve Wozniak. After coming out of that meeting, Frank was absolutely convinced that Apple was the best investment opportunity ever offered in the financial world.

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Frank did not waste any time in taking action on this conviction. Upon arriving at home, he called his bank and ordered it to take every penny from his savings account and put it into Apple stock. Next, he went through his other belongings to see what else he could do to free up more money to invest. To start with, he decided to sell his coin collection that had been gathering dust in the back closet. Then he took his three guns to a sporting goods store and negotiated a sale price for them. Next, he drove his late-model car to a local dealer and exchanged it for a less expensive model, walking away with $2,000 cash in his pocket. Finally, he took all the money produced by these efforts and sent it straight to his broker to be invested in Apple.

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Frank's next move was to call the administrator of the retirement plan offered by his employer. Frank had been contributing to this plan through automatic withdrawals from his weekly paycheck, and the balance by now had grown to slightly more than $4,000. He asked the administrator whether Apple stock was one of the investment options offered by this plan. When he was told that it was not, Frank decided to withdraw all his money from the plan and invest it in Apple. His tax accountant warned him sternly that this withdrawal would cost him both income tax and a 10% penalty on the amount withdrawn. Frank, however, decided to do it anyway. He was convinced that the growth potential of Apple was enough to easily offset any additional tax that he would have to pay. As a result, Frank was able to add almost $3,000 to his total holdings in Apple stock.

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After arriving at work the next day, Frank asked his boss for permission to work several extra hours of overtime each week. The boss granted his request, and from then on the extra income generated by this work was invested directly into Apple stock.

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Frank also began to live more frugally, limiting his personal spending as much as possible. He started buying less expensive clothes, went out to eat less often, and took fewer and simpler vacations. This lifestyle freed up even more money to be invested in Apple. Any spare time he did have was spent reading, thinking, and talking about Apple Corporation. It had become a passion that consumed every aspect of his life.

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One day Frank received a call from the personnel director of Apple. He was told that during his interview with Steve Jobs several weeks earlier, Jobs had been so impressed with him that he was inviting him to come and work for Apple. The director offered Frank a salary more than double the wage he was currently earning, and Frank quickly accepted.

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Over the next several months, Frank put all his effort into his job at Apple, working his way up through several management levels as he learned more and more about the company. As his earnings continued to increase, he continued to invest everything above his basic living expenses directly into Apple stock. Because of his increased income, he was now able to put well over half of his monthly paycheck into this investment, and his total holdings were accumulating rapidly.

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After some time had passed, an even more exciting opportunity presented itself. Frank was called into the office of Steve Jobs himself, and the president had this request for him. "Frank, I'd like you to move to Russia for ten years to become the representative for Apple in that country. I realize that there is a lot of inconvenience involved in moving to and living in a foreign country, and for that reason I'm offering to give you a salary three times the amount you are currently making.

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"I have just one caution for you," Steve continued, “Do not make any investments in Russia while you are there. The political situation in Russia is on very shaky ground, and the communists could take over the country at any time. If that should happen, everything you own would immediately pass into their hands. The only safe option is to send your money over here to America and let me invest it in Apple for you.

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"Furthermore," Steve continued, "I have another reason why I don't want you to make investments in Russia. After ten years I want you to return home to work for me here. If you start making investments in the country of Russia, you will become so attached to that country that you won't want to leave when the time comes. So please send everything you make back here to America so you don't lose sight of the fact that you are only in that country temporarily, and that very soon your sojourn there will be over."

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Frank decided to accept the offer, knowing that the increased income would provide a huge boost toward his goal of becoming financially wealthy. After arriving in Russia, he found a modest house to rent, purchased a small car to drive, and began putting all his effort into working for Apple's branch office in Russia. And always, after picking up his paycheck every month, he would take out what he needed for living expenses and send the balance to America to be invested in Apple.

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As time went on, Frank's Russian landlord decided to sell the house where Frank was living, and he needed to find another place to live. But suddenly, it seemed that there simply were no other houses around to rent; his only option was to buy a place of his own. Inexpensive houses were readily available, and Frank soon found and bought one that met his needs. Although this purchase caused a temporary decrease in the flow of money he was sending back to America, it seemed to be his only option at the time.

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More time passed, and the area where Frank was living experienced a tremendous boom in the real estate market. The little house that Frank had bought for only $60,000 soon became worth nearly $250,000. As Frank thought about this turn of events, and about his newfound Russian wealth, he recalled the warning that Steve Jobs had given him before he left America: "Don't make investments in the country of Russia." Frank began to wonder whether there would be any way to move this $250,000 of equity to a more secure location rather than leaving it to the mercy of Russia's unstable economy.

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The answer to this dilemma came one day when Frank was visiting with his next-door neighbour, a lifelong citizen of Russia. When the neighbour mentioned that he would be interested in investing in a piece of rental real estate, Frank's ears immediately perked up. "Would you like to buy my house, and then rent it back to me?" he asked his neighbor. The neighbour was very interested in such an arrangement, and the deal was made within a week. After paying for the closing costs, Frank walked away with well over $200,000 in his pocket, which he immediately converted into American dollars and sent across the ocean to be invested in Apple stock.

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At various times during his stay in Russia, Frank was approached by his neighbours and coworkers, who recommended different investment opportunities to him. Sometimes they recommended a piece of land. Other times it was a company on the Russian stock market, and still other times people told him about the great interest rate he could earn at a particular Russian bank. Frank always tried to explain to them why he wasn't interested. He told them of the dangers associated with investing in Russia. He told them of the far more wonderful investment opportunities to which he already had access. And he explained to them that it would be foolish for him to forego even a little of his investment opportunity in America to invest in anything that Russia had to offer.

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At other times, his Russian friends encouraged him to try to enjoy life a little more during his stay in their country. They told him of the wonderful restaurants, vacation resorts, and amusement parks within driving distance. With the large amount of money he was earning each month, they told him, he could be having a grand time while living in Russia. But again, Frank explained that he had not come to Russia to have a good time, but rather to accumulate as much wealth as possible in a company called Apple in that faraway land called America.

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The response from his Russian friends was usually the same. They looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and pity, as though he were some sort of lunatic. Why should he be putting all of his hard-earned money into this company that he could not even see? And after all these years, how could he even be sure there really even was such a place as America?

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A number of times during his Russian sojourn Frank was pleasantly surprised by some extra money coming his way. Several times he received income tax refunds far greater than he had been expecting. Another time he received an inheritance check from a relative he hardly knew. But no matter where the money came from, his response was always the same: convert it to American dollars and send it across the ocean to be invested in Apple. Although he was tempted at times to use these extra funds either to raise his standard of living or to store up some reserves right there in Russia, he did his best to resist these temptations and to look forward to the day when he would be going home for good.

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It would have been nice if Frank had experienced nothing but financial prosperity during the time he was in Russia, but this was not the case. He also experienced some significant financial setbacks during his stay there. In one case, for instance, he had to have emergency surgery, which would cost him well over $50,000. How in the world was he going to handle this? The doctors performing the surgery wanted to be paid right away, but Frank did not have anywhere near that amount of money, having sent all his extra income to America. Had Frank made a mistake by not keeping a reserve fund in Russia for situations such as this?

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The solution was simple. Frank placed a collect call to Steve Jobs and told him of the dilemma. Steve told him not to worry. The money would be wired over to him yet that day. "And, oh, by the way, Frank," Steve told him, "don't worry about this withdrawal depleting the value of your investment in Apple. Your account is so large by this time that this really won't even make much of a dent in it."

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This last comment set Frank's mind to wondering: how much was his investment worth by this time? He hadn't been able to keep very close track. The communication system between the two countries was a little like seeing "through a glass, darkly." He had believed from the beginning that Apple was a good company and, because of that belief, had entrusted them with everything he owned. But every once in a while a small doubt would arise in his mind about whether all his effort would really be worth- while in the long run.

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The day finally came when Steve’s predictions came true. Russia's economy collapsed. The communists took control of the country, and all private property passed into the hands of the government. Frank was able to get on a last-minute flight out of the country, carrying nothing but the shirt on his back.

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As he sat thinking on his long flight across the Atlantic, Frank began to ponder all that had transpired. His first thought was one of gratitude to Steve for the wise counsel he had given. Most of Frank's Russian friends had lost everything they owned in a matter of hours. All they had ever lived for had been suddenly snatched from their hands with no time to prepare. Frank, on the other hand, had lost virtually nothing in the revolution. Even the equity in his personal residence had been moved to safety ahead of time.

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Next he began to wonder: What will happen to me when I land in New York? Will anyone be there to meet me? Will I have a place to live and food to eat? Have my investments really done as well as Steve says they have? Or will I be a penniless pauper wondering the streets looking for work? The same old nagging doubts were just enough to give him a slight feeling of uneasiness as the plane began its final descent toward American soil.

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As Frank walked down the ramp into the airport terminal, he noticed a large group of important looking people who appeared to be waiting expectantly for someone. It wasn't until he saw Steve Jobs himself at the head of the procession and the huge banner reading "Welcome Home, Frank" that he realized all these people were waiting for him! There were newspaper reporters, cameramen, a television station, and all the top people in Apple, all gathered there, they said, to give a royal welcome to one of the rich- est men in America!

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Yes, it was true, Steve explained to Frank as they headed through the terminal. Apple’s astounding growth and Frank's diligent investing had combined to make him one of the wealthiest men in America. With this kind of wealth, Steve told him, he could enjoy the very best of everything America had to offer. A lack of money would never be a problem for him again as long as he lived.

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As the story of Frank's Russian sojourn, his investment habits, and his astounding wealth made headlines across the country, different people had different reactions. Some were jealous of him. Others resolved to imitate him. Some simply sat back and admired him. But there was one thing everybody was forced to admit without any reservations: Frank had been a very, very wise investor.

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I'm sure as you read the story of the wise investor named Frank, you were able to discern the parallels between his situation in Russia and ours on this earth.

• Like Frank, we are living as pilgrims and strangers in a foreign country.

• Like Frank, we have been commanded not to make investments in the country where we are living.

• Like Frank, we are encouraged to invest everything that we can in our homeland.

• Like Frank, commitment to these investment principles brings us ridicule from those who have not made such a commitment.

• Like Frank, if we are faithful to invest in our homeland and to avoid foreign investing, it will have a great impact on our future welfare.

• Like Frank, we prove which kingdom we are truly trusting in by the place where we make our investments.

• Like Frank, we have no good reason to store up wealth in the country where we are temporarily living because our God has promised to supply our need.

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Are we willing to commit ourself & as the ekklesia the body of Jesus Christ of whom is head to "DO and teach, & live it out" this along with the rest of all Jesus has asked of us? In the next article, will be delving deeply into Jesus' true parable of the rich man and Lazarus.

Thank you for taking the time to read. I pray this has in some way blessed you and made you ponder and into drawing ever closer to our example that Jesus left us to follow in His footsteps closely and in desiring towards real time applications of doing Jesus’ commands & the will of our father in heaven. May Heavenly father continue to bless your endeavours for doing so in His & our beloved Christ.

https://classictheology.org/2021/10/12/through-the-eye-of-an-actual-needle-the-fake-gate-theory/

I do not agree with every opinion and viewpoint presented in the following, yet the facts remain concerning the hyperbolic language Jesus used to get his point across concerning a camel going through the eye of a needle:

https://recognizingchrist.com/2013/06/25/myths-about-the-bible-was-the-eye-of-the-needle-a-gate/